Application of Spectral Decomposition and Seismic Attributes to Understand the Structure and

Distribution of Sand Reservoirs within Tertiary Rift Basins of Gulf of Thailand*

Mirza Naseer Ahmad1 and Philip Rowell1
Search and Discovery Article #40992 (2012)**
Posted August 13, 2012

*Adapted from oral presentation at AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Long Beach, California, April 22-25, 2012
**AAPG2012 Serial rights given by author. For all other rights contact author directly.
1

Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand (naseerrb3@yahoo.com)

Abstract
The Gulf of Thailand lies on the southern margin of the Eurasian Plate and contains a number of north-south trending Tertiary
aged rift basins. These basins form a series of en echelon grabens and half graben systems. Significant graben shifts because of
transfer zones between the early rift structures are expected in the area, but on conventional seismic no such discontinuities can
be observed. The main reservoirs of the area are Lower to Middle Miocene sands associated with fluvial depositional systems.
The facies distribution pattern of these reservoirs are of limited scale showing rapid lateral and vertical changes, which is not
easy to resolve on conventional seismic data. The objective of the present study is to develop geophysical workflows to better
image the faults and reservoir sand distribution in the area. We applied spectral decomposition (Discrete Fourier Transform)
techniques, semblance and sweetness on a seismic data set from the Pattani Basin and on selected frequency slices observed
NW-SE discontinuities, which were additional to the N-S faults interpreted using conventional full spectrum seismic data. Isofrequency volumes for phase and amplitude were also calculated. Key horizon slices of different phase volumes were
examined and it was found that the 30 Hz phase volume best resolved both sets of faults (N-S and NW-SE). We also observed
the same set of faults on horizon slices of semblance. Channels were identified on 25~30 Hz amplitude volumes within less
tectonically disturbed zones. The good match between sweetness and gamma ray at well locations indicates that we can use
sweetness for sand prediction. Combining the results of amplitude volumes and sweetness, two types of channels can be
identified: 1) those having high sweetness and high amplitudes at selected frequencies (25~30); and 2) those with low
sweetness and low amplitude at selected frequencies which were associated with point bars of high sweetness and high
amplitudes. We interpreted these types of channels as sand filled and mud filled associated with sandy point bars respectively.
Both sets of faults also affect the anomalies associated with sand bodies. The present study reveals that spectral decomposition

techniques combined with semblance and sweetness can successfully delineate sand geometries within the complex tectonics
and depositional environments in the Gulf of Thailand.
References
Kornsawan, A., and C.K. Morley, 2002, The origin and evolution of complex transfer zones (graben shifts) in conjugate fault
systems around the Funan Field, Pattani Basin, Gulf of Thailand: Journal of Structural Geology, v. 24/3, p. 435-449.
Morley, C.K., and A. Racey, 2011, Tertiary stratigraphy, in M.F. Ridd, A.J. Barber, and M.J. Crow (eds.), The geology of
Thailand: The Geological Society (London), p. 223-271.
Morley, C.K., N. Woganan, N. Sankumarn, T.B. Hoon, A. Alief, A., and M. Simmons, 2001 , Late Oligocene-Recent stress
evolution in rift basins of northern and central Thailand: Implications for escape tectonics: Tectonophysics, v. 334, p. 115-150.

Application of Spectral Decomposition and Seismic Attributes to

Understand the Structure and Distribution of Sand Reservoirs within
Tertiary Rift Basins of the Gulf of Thailand
By

Mirza Naseer Ahmad & Philip Rowell

Petroleum Geoscience Program, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Acknowledgements

Gulf of Thailand and the Pattani Basin-----Study Area

12 N

10 N
Pattani Basin
Study Area

8N
0

100 E

200 km

The Gulf of Thailand is composed of a

series of northsouth trending linear ridges,
separated by major fault-bounded
sedimentary basins.
The Pattani basin is a major hydrocarbon
area in Gulf of Thailand. It is approximately
270 km long and 100 km wide.

Tertiary rifting in the Pattani basin

Developed by E-W extension which produced

N-S regional faults.
Secondary faults are NW-SE and NE-SW and trending
oblique (or at high angles) to N-S regional faults.
Inherited pre-existing fabric.

Morley, et al., 2004

Major tectonic phases

West

East

Miocene

Pliocene

Late Oligocene-Early
Miocene

Eocene

Lacustrine Shale

Fluvial deltaic deposits

Early Miocene-Recent
Flood Plain to marginal
marine mudstone

Representative cross section (after Morley & Racey, 2011)

Active early syn-rift (Upper Eocene to the end of Oligocene).

Late syn-rift (Lower Miocene to Late Middle Miocene).
Post-rift (Late Mid Miocene to Recent).

Late synrift

Early
Syn-Rift

Fluvial Deltaic deposit

Eocene-Oligocene

Alluvial Fan
Deposit

Post-Rift

Stratigraphy Fluvial sands are primary objective

Stratigraphic Column

Deposition Environment

Tectonic History

Sequence/Age
1.6

Post-Rift

Lacustrine

Early Syn-Rift

Middle

Miocene

II

15
Early

Late Syn-Rift

10

Late 25
30
Early

Fluvial and Coastal plain

Study Interval

IV
III

5
Late

Alluvial plain and Fluvial

Estuarine Paralic and Fluvial

Plio.

Oligocene

Shallow marine Paralic and

Fluvial

36
Eocene Late Ma
(after Morley & Racey, 2011)

Marine Clays

Legend

Fluvial Sandstone
Alluvial Claystones

Claystones & mudstones

Lacustrine mudstones

Conglomerates & Breccias

Main issues to resolve

Imaging faults associated with graben shifts

Significant graben shifts because of transfer zones
are in the area.
These faults are not easy to map on full spectrum
seismic data.
Mapping of reservoir sands
Reservoir sands show rapid horizontal and vertical
change in thickness and size because of fluvial
depositional environment.
Kornsawan & Morley, 2002

Methodology for resolving issues

Reconnaissance
Tuning Cube for
zone of interest

Spectral Decomposition Workflow

Attribute Calculation Workflow

Seismic
Data

Analysis of Ampl. &

Phase slices

Discrete
frequency
selection

Sweetness
calculation

Semblance
calculation

Sand mapping

Fault mapping

Iso-frequency Volumes
of Ampl. & Phase

Fault Detection on
Phase Volumes

Channel detection
on ampl. volumes

Investigation zone defined from 1400-2100 msec (~1500 to 2700 m depth)

Sequence/Age
1.6
Plio.

1000
15

36
Eocene Late Ma

Zone of Interest

Late 25
30
Early

Oligocene

10

Early

II

Middle

Miocene

IV
III

500

Late

H1

1500

H2
H3

2000

1 Km

2500

Reconnaissance tuning cube of zone of interest

Frequency Hz

40

60

80

100
20
Frequency Hz

-10
-30
-60

40
60
80
100
120

No meaningful signal
beyond 80 Hz
Frequency Hz

db power

20

Frequency cross
section of phase

0
20
40
60
80
100
120

Frequency cross
section of amplitude

Fault Analysis

Fault analysis on full spectrum Semblance horizon slice of H2 Horizon

N-S Regional
Faults

NW-SE
Discontinuities

1 Km

Discrete frequency volume analysis of 30 Hz phase horizon slice of H2

North-South
discontinuities
match the
interpreted faults
NW-SE
discontinuities are
better resolved on
30 Hz phase
horizon slice as
compared to
Semblance

NW-SE
Discontinuities

1 Km

30 Hz phase horizon slice of H2 along with interpreted polygons of regional N-S faults

NW-SE Faults

Juxtaposition of
Opposite dipping
faults

NW-SE discontinuities may

represent localized graben
shifts/transfer zones as
1. Opposite dipping faults are
Juxtaposed.
2. Bends in the N-S faults
along the NW-SE
discontinuities.

East Dipping faults

1 Km
West Dipping Faults

Fault Analysis on Filtered Section (20-25-35-40)

A

1.5

Horizon
H2
H2 Horizon
1 km

1 Km

2.0

NW-SE Discontinuity

Main North-South
Fault

+ive

2.5
-ive

1 Km

Analysis of Amplitude Anomalies

For Sand Prediction

Horizon H2 amplitude map at 30 Hz frequency overlain by 30 Hz phase slice to

highlight anomalies along fault zones

Amplitude anomalies
along N-S regional
faults
Amplitude anomalies
cut by NW-SE
secondary faults

1.5 Km

High

Low

Comparison of Sweetness and GR at Wells

Sweetness is calculated for sand prediction

High Sweetness matches with sands of thickness greater or equal to 13~15m down to the depth of 1700 m.
Sands below 1700 ~1800 m do not show good correlation with sweetness.

Depth
m

Depth
m

Well-1

Well-2

Fault

1500

13~15m thick sands

1500

High

Fault
Fault

H2 Horizon
2000

2000

H2 Horizon

Low

Distribution of sand from sweetness section

1.0

1.5

High
H2 Horizon

2.0

2.5

1 km

Sweetness Section
Low

1 km

Sand bodies are not continuous vertically and laterally

A

30 Hz Amplitude Anomaly Map of H2 Horizon

Look at amplitude anomalies in the shallow section (124 ms) to obtain analogues for
deeper section reservoirs
Point Bars

+ive

-ive
1 Km

Channel
associated with
high amplitude
sand

Same feature on 30 Hz amplitude spectra and on Sweetness attribute at 124 ms

30 Hz Amplitude
Time Slice

High

1 Km

Low

Sweetness Time Slice

High

1 Km

Low

Sands deposited in broad point

bars associated with high
sinuous channels

Amplitude anomalies of narrow meander belts at shallow section (148ms)

+ive

-ive
1 Km
Amplitude anomalies
associated with narrow
meander belt

1 Km

Same feature on 30Hz amplitude spectra and Sweetness time slice (148ms)

High

Low

Narrow channel

30 Hz amplitude spectra

High

Low

Sweetness slice

Broad point bar related anomaly along H2 horizon

High Amplitude
Anomaly

+ive

H2 Horizon

-ive

Low Amplitude
Channel
H3 Horizon
0.75 Km
0.4 Km

High amplitude at broad point bar

on H2 horizon slice

30 Hz amplitude spectra

Sweetness and 30 Hz amplitude spectra slice along H2 in NE part of the area

High amplitude/High Sweetness

anomalies of point bars
High

Possible Channel

1 Km

2 Km

Low

High

Point Bar
Low

Amplitude spectra of narrow meander belt on 30 Hz time slice of 1624 ms

Amplitude spectra of 30 Hz
at 1624 ms

B
Area Focus in
next slide

NW-SE Fault

High amplitude
associated with
channel cut by
NW-SE fault

1 Km
1 Km

+ive

0.4 Km

Vertical section of full spectra showing

1624 ms time slice position
-ive

Same feature of narrow meander belt at 1624 ms time slice of Sweetness

0.75 Km

0.75 Km

High Sweetness represents

Sand associated with narrow
meander belt.
Shows compartmentalization by
cross fault.

Point Bar

Fault Segment
High

Low

Key Observations

30 Hz phase volume shows regional N-S faults as well as NWSE secondary faults. 30 Hz phase spectra better image the
both set of faults as compared to semblance of full spectrum
data.
Filtered seismic section (25~35 Hz) more effectively resolve
NW-SE faults as compared to full spectrum seismic.
Amplitude anomalies are aligned along both set of faults.
Spectral decomposition output of 30 Hz amplitude volume
highlights sand associated with meander belts .
There is reasonable match between GR and sweetness up to
1700~1800 m depth.

Conclusions

Spectral Decomposition technique can be used to detect subtle faults, especially

related with graben shifts or transfer zones, in the Gulf of Thailand.
NW-SE faults may help compartmentalized the reservoir.
30 Hz Amplitude spectra can be used to detect the nature of channels and predict
the sand distribution associated with fluvial system in the area.
Sweetness volume may help to predict the sand distribution down to certain depth.
Two types of channels are detected; 1) high sinuous with broad point bars and low
sinuous narrow meander belts.
Amplitude spectra of 30 Hz and Sweetness can help to differentiate zones of broad
point bars and sands associated with narrow meander belts within the interval of
reservoir.

Thanks